Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Urban berries

Ever since Marie introduced me to shadberries (Amelanchier), I began to see them everywhere in the city - in urban parks... along streets....on a rooftop in Battery Park and growing wild in the dunes on Fire island. It seems to be a bumper year for fruit.

On Friday Marie & I had a rendezvous in a teeny park under the Manhatten bridge - our mission: to pick a few pounds for a special dessert: amelanchier berry pie. The pie was perfect, and much to our surprise there was a strong aftertaste of marzipan - probably the seeds. Turns out we'd picked enough berries for pancakes, jam and a fruit salad...

Amelanchier - don't they look delectable? Nature is so bountiful - each bush was laden with with ripe berries - enough to feed a small crowd.

I love the context - the trains going klakkety klak on the Manhattan bridge overhead...

My best bird shot to date! I thought pigeons were seed eaters - didn't know they were omnivores.